I am tired of Kanye and Taylor and Michael Vick and Joe Wilson and Ellen and Jay Leno and whatever other useless, pointless, inane trivia passes for news.

I am sick and tired of the health care debate. We're living it. The view from the downside sucks. 

Below are four stories of one family's battle with cancer. My family. I've written about them in detail. They are an object lesson on the need for better, more affordable health care.

Already mother to a son with cancer, my neice Karen has been fighting herocially against melanoma metastisized to the liver and spleen. Positive attitude. Healthy lifestyle. Aggressive therapy. 

Cancer therapy which her doctors had to fight like hell to get the insurance company to pay.

Last month, some real joy, tumors shrunk, no new ones, a great high for all of us.

Monday the news. Not so good. More tumors, bigger than before. And that word: chemo.

Karen's unbelievably strong and brave. Next steps, she says, not giving up, she says. Setback, sure, but this is just another way to fight.

Wednesday, September 16, Karen is having her first chemo-embolization treatment. I'll be there in the hospital by her side, along with her husband.

If you pray, please do. If you can send healing thoughts, please do. If you would stop briefly and enjoy whatever good fortune is yours, please do that too.

Thank you.

Chronological Order:

Alex's Lemonade - Elixir of Life

I See Courage

"This Is Not The End Of Your Life"

No More! No Más! Enough! Basta! Finis! Stop!